\  <3  wi .  \q \ a o  w  ^r6 .  J  . 


MISSIONARY  HEROES  COURSE 


LIFE  STORIES  OF  GREAT  MISSIONARIES  FOR 

TEEN  AGE  BOYS 

ARRANGED  IN  PROGRAMS 


Martyr  of  New  Guinea 


SOURCE  BOOK 

“Chalmers  of  New  Guinea” 

By  ALEXANDER  SMALL 


Program  Prepared  hy 

FLOYD  L.  CARR 


I 

i 


Baptist  Board  of  Education 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 
276  FIFTH  AVENUE,  NEW  YORK  CITY 


Course  No.  1 


James  Chalmers 


Guinea 


SOURCE  BOOK 


“Chalmers  of  New  Guinea” 

By  Alexander  Small 


Baptist  Board  of  Education 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MISSIONARY  EDUCATION 

276  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York  City 


OUTLINE 

Introductory  Statement . 

Program  for  Meeting . 

Life  Incidents . 

Life  Sketch . 

Program  based  upon  Chalmers  of  New  Guinea 
by  Alexander  Small 

Doran  $1.50 
FOREWORD 

THE  Missionary  Heroes  Course  for  Boys  meets  a  real  need. 

It  is  a  series  of  missionary  programs  for  boys,  based  on  great 
biographies  which  every  boy  should  know.  Course  Number  One, 
now  available,  provides  programs  for  the  ensuing  twelve  months 
and  may  be  used  in  the  monthly  meetings  of  boys’  groups. 
Other  courses  are  in  preparation  and  will  be  issued  for  subse¬ 
quent  years. 

It  is  suggested  that  the  leader  purchase  three  copies  of  each 
leaflet ;  one  to  be  kept  for  reference  and  the  other  two  to  be 
cut  up  to  provide  each  boy  with  his  assigned  part.  In  order  to 
tie  together  the  life  incidents  as  they  are  presented  by  the  boys, 
the  leader  should  master  the  facts  outlined  in  the  biographical 
sketch  and  read  carefully  the  volume  upon  which  the  program 
is  based.  These  volumes  are  missionary  classics  and  may  be 
made  the  basis  of  a  worth-while  library  of  Christian  adventure. 

Boys  are  keenly  interested  in  stories  of  adventure  and 
achievement  and  it  is  hoped  that  participation  in  the  programs 
will  lead  many  of  the  lads  to  read  these  great  missionary  biog¬ 
raphies.  Attention  is  called  to  the  eleven  other  life-story  pro¬ 
grams  in  the  series  now  available  for  Course  Number  One,  and 
to  the  series  now  in  preparation  for  the  ensuing  year,  both  of 
which  are  listed  on  the  last  page.  The  books  upon  which  these 
programs  are  based  can  be  ordered  from  the  nearest  literature 
headquarters.  Portraits  of  these  missionary  heroes  will  also  be 
made  available  for  purchase. 

While  these  programs  have  been  developed  to  meet  the  needs 
of  boys’  organizations  of  all  types — i.e.,  Organized  Classes,  Boy 
Scouts,  Knights  of  King  Arthur,  Kappa  Sigma  Pi,  etc. — they 
were  especially  prepared  for  the  chapters  of  the  Royal  Ambas¬ 
sadors,  a  missionary  organization  for  teen  age  boys,  originating 
in  the  southland  and  recently  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  North¬ 
ern  Baptist  Convention  by  the  Department  of  Missionary  Edu¬ 
cation.  We  commend  these  materials  to  all  lovers  of  boys. 

William  A.  Hill. 


PAGE 
.  2 
.  3 
.  4 
.  6 


o  a 


PROGRAM  FOR  THE  MEETING 


1.  Scripture  Reading:  Psalm  23.  His  father  gave  James  a 
sixpence  when  a  small  hoy  for  being  able  to  repeat  this 
psalm.  (See  pages  4-5  of  “Chalmers  of  New  Guinea”  by 
Alexander  Small.) 

2.  Prayer. 

3.  Hymn:  “The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  War”  introduced 
with  a  reference  to  his  martyr  death  (see  pages  158-161). 

4.  Introduction  to  Life  Story*  (based  upon  pages  1-11  of  the 
above  book). 

5.  His  Conversion  and  Decision  (pages  12-13). 

6.  An  Eventful  Voyage  (pages  22-25). 

7.  Achievements  on  Rarotonga  (pages  31-34). 

8.  Life  Threatened  by  a  Savage  (pages  41-42). 

9.  The  Murder  of  Some  Native  Helpers  (pages  54-55). 

10.  Swift  Transformations  (pages  56-57). 

11.  Begins  Work  at  Motumotu  (pages  72-73,  75-77). 

12.  James  Chalmers  Meets  Robert  Louis  Stevenson  (pages  109- 
111,  70). 

13.  Another  Shipwreck  (pages  123-125). 

14.  A  Visit  Home  (pages  143-145). 

15.  Martyrdom  on  Goaribari  Island  (pages  158-161). 


*  The  leader  should  read  both  the  brief  sketch  in  this  pamphlet  and  also  pages  i-n 
f  “Chalmers  of  New  Guinea,”  by  Alexander  Small,  in  order  as  the  program 
rogresses,  to  fill  in  the  gaps  between  the  assignments. 


3 


SKETCH  OF  THE  LIFE  OF 
JAMES  CHALMERS 


JAMES  CHALMERS  was  born  at  Ardrishaig,  near  Inveraray, 
Scotland,  on  August  4,  1841,  his  father  being  an  upright 
stone-mason.  His  youth  by  the  sea-shore  was  a  continued 
story  of  adventure,  mishaps,  and  brave  exploits. 

When  fourteen  he  entered  a  law  office  in  Inveraray  but  a 
letter  from  a  missionary  in  the  Fiji  Islands  turned  his  mind 
to  the  missionary  field.  On  his  twenty-first  year  he  entered 
Cheshunt  College  to  prepare  for  the  foreign  field. 

On  January  4,  1866,  with  his  wife,  he  set  sail  on  the  John 
Williams  for  the  South  Seas.  On  the  way  from  Sydney  to 
Aneiteum  the  ship  struck  a  hidden  reef  and  their  outfit  was 
ruined  by  salt  water.  Proceeding  after  repairs,  the  ship  again 
struck  on  a  reef  off  the  Savage  Island  and  became  a  total 
wreck.  All  on  board  were  rescued  but  Chalmers  lost  his  entire 
equipment. 

He  finally  arrived  at  Avarua,  Rarotonga,  on  May  20,  1867, 
after  seventeen  months  en  route.  He  found  that  the  natives 
had  been  raised  from  a  state  of  fierce  savagery  to  semi-civiliza¬ 
tion  through  the  labors  of  John  Williams  and  his  successors, 
but  much  remained  to  be  accomplished.  Ten  years  were  spent 
here  in  mastering  the  various  dialects,  preparing  text  books, 
reorganizing  the  Students’  College,  and  placing  the  work  upon 
a  stable  basis. 

At  his  request  he  was  transferred  to  New  Guinea  in  1877, 
and  landed  on  Stacey  Island  on  September  21.  Here  he  was 
surrounded  by  naked  cannibals  and  his  life  for  a  time  was  in 
great  danger,  but  eventually  his  courage  and  tact  disarmed 
their  hostility.  After  a  time  the  health  of  Mrs.  Chalmers  failed 
and  he  sent  her  to  Sydney  for  treatment.  But  the  sad  tidings 
reached  him,  while  he  was  on  the  way  to  her  side,  of  her  death 
on  February  20,  1879. 

Seven  years  later,  after  having  completed  twenty  years  of 
service,  he  returned  to  England  for  a  year’s  rest.  His  ad¬ 
dresses  aroused  great  enthusiasm.  While  in  England  he  re¬ 
newed  his  acquaintance  with  a  friend  of  his  first  wife,  Mrs. 


4 


Sara  Harrison,  and  the  following  year  she  met  him  at  Cooktown 
and  they  were  married  October  6,  1888. 

They  settled  at  Motumotu  (Toaripi)  as  a  center  from  which 
to  supervise  the  work  in  New  Guinea.  He  writes  of  his  work: 
“For  over  two  years  there  have  been  no  cannibal  ovens,  no 
feasts,  no  human  flesh,  no  desire  for  skulls.  Tribes  that  could 
not  formerly  meet,  except  to  fight,  now  meet  as  friends  and 
sit  down  side  by  side  in  the  same  house,  worshipping  the  true 
God.”  His  work  required  frequent  voyages  over  dangerous 
waters;  and  at  this  time  while  on  a  voyage  in  the  Harrier,  he 
experienced  his  fourth  shipwreck.  A  voyage  to  Samoa  brought 
him  into  contact  with  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  and  between 
them  a  warm  friendship  developed. 

In  1894  he  was  summoned  home  to  England  to  take  part 
in  the  centenary  celebrations  of  the  London  Missionary  Society, 
in  which  he  was  an  outstanding  speaker.  He  also  visited  his. 
boyhood  home,  Inveraray,  and  was  honored  with  the  freedom 
of  the  city.  But  the  lure  of  his  work  was  strong  and  by  Jan¬ 
uary  1896  he  was  again  back  in  New  Guinea.  Four  years 
later,  in  1900,  his  wife  died  at  Daru,  the  final  station  opened 
by  Chalmers. 

The  next  spring  James  Chalmers  accompanied  by  his  assis¬ 
tant,  Oliver  F.  Tomkins,  started  on  a  tour  of  the  stations,  on 
the  Niue.  On  April  7th  they  anchored  off  Goaribari  Island 
and  were  immediately  surrounded  by  hostile  natives.  They 
were  persuaded  to  leave  only  by  the  promise  that  he  would 
visit  them  the  next  day.  On  the  morrow,  accompanied  by 
Oliver  F.  Tomkins,  he  went  ashore.  They  were  murdered  at 
the  village  of  Dopima  and  their  bodies  were  eaten  in  a  cannibal 
feast.  Thus  on  April  8,  1904,  was  ended  a  glorious  life  of 
which  his  own  utterance  while  in  England  in  1887,  is  the  key¬ 
note  :  ‘  ‘  Recall  the  twenty-one  years,  give  me  back  all  its  experi¬ 
ences,  give  me  its  shipwrecks,  give  me  its  standings  in  the 
face  of  death,  give  it  me  surrounded  with  savages  with  spears 
and  clubs,  give  it  me  back  again  with  the  club  knocking  me 
to  the  ground — give  it  me  back  and  I  will  still  be  your  mission¬ 
ary.  ’  * 


5 


INCIDENTS  IN  THE  LIFE  OF 
JAMES  CHALMERS 

Reprinted  from  “Chalmers  of  New  Guinea ” 
by  Alexander  Small 

By  permission  of  the  publishers,  George  H.  Doran  Company 


His  Conversion  and  Decision.  (P.  12-13.) 

In  the  Highlands  at  that  time  folks  worshipped  a  God  of 
terror,  and  Mr.  Meikle  was  looked  upon  as  quite  unorthodox 
because  he  preached  a  God  of  love.  Chalmers  heard  sermons 
about  the  bottomless  pit,  everlasting  punishment,  and  fire  and 
brimstone,  which  affected  him  like  a  nightmare.  These  caused 
in  him  an  antipathy  to  religion ;  and  as  he  could  not  feel  that 
he  was  one  of  the  elect,  he  came  dangerously  near  abandoning 
the  Church  altogether. 

But  in  November  1859  two  evangelists  from  the  north  of 
Ireland  arrived  in  Inveraray.  Chalmers  and  some  of  his  young 
chums  were  prepared  to  give  them  a  hostile  reception,  to  break 
up  their  meetings,  and  to  prevent  conversions.  The  first  time, 
however,  that  he  attended  one  of  their  services,  he  who  went 
to  scoff  remained  to  pray.  The  singing  and  praying,  and  the 
intense  earnestness  of  the  speakers  deeply  impressed  him,  and  he 
hurried  home  greatly  upset.  On  the  following  Sunday  night 
at  another  meeting  in  the  Free  Church  he  was  so  filled  with 
conviction  of  sin  that  he  felt  lost  beyond  all  hope  of  salvation. 
On  the  Monday  Mr.  Meikle  came  to  his  help  and  led  him  to  the 
glorious  promises  of  God,  and  so  he  found  the  truth  and  believed 
in  Christ  as  his  Saviour.  Immediately  he  returned  to  the 
Sunday  School  as  a  teacher,  and  began  in  his  enthusiasm  to 
address  meetings  in  public;  his  long-cherished  vow  to  take  the 
Gospel  to  the  heathen  came  back  afresh  to  his  mind  with  com¬ 
pelling  power,  and  he  resolved  to  devote  himself  to  his  Master’s 
service  as  a  missionary. 

An  Eventful  Voyage.  (P.  22-25.) 

It  was  an  eventful  voyage.  They  had  a  rough  time  in  the 
Channel  and  put  into  Weymouth  for  repairs,  but  as  they  went 
south  the  weather  improved.  Chalmers  held  “prayers”  in  the 

6 


saloon,  preached  on  Sundays,  and  started  a  Bible  Class  for  the 
men  on  board.  They  arrived  at  Adelaide  on  20th  of  May,  and 
proceeded  to  Sydney;  then  left  Sydney  in  August  for  the  New 
Hebrides  in  order  to  land  two  paseugers  at  Aneiteum,  when 
unexpectedly  and  to  their  great  dismay  the  vessel  struck  upon 
a  hidden  reef  with  every  inch  of  canvas  set.  She  hung  there 
for  some  days,  the  pumps  being  kept  going  continuously.  At 
last  she  was  got  off  in  a  damaged  condition,  and  temporarily 
patched  up  to  enable  her  to  return  to  Sydney  for  repairs.  On 
this  trip  she  was  accompanied,  for  safety,  by  the  Dayspring. 
Chalmers  says,  “We  lost  everything  by  salt  water,5’  but  the 
people  at  Sydney  showed  them  much  kindness,  and  in  six  weeks 
they  were  able  to  sail  again  for  Aneiteum.  There  they  landed 
their  passengers  and  goods,  and  proceeded  to  the  Loyalty 
Islands,  and  finally  to  Niue  or  Savage  Island,  where  they 
received  a  kindly  welcome  from  Dr.  and  Mrs.  George  Lawes. 

They  were  preparing  next,  to  proceed  to  Samoa  when  another 
disaster,  this  time  an  irretrievable  one,  occurred  on  8th  Janu¬ 
ary  1867 ;  about  midnight  the  J ohn  Williams  was  dashed  against 
the  barrier  reef  of  Savage  Island  by  the  force  of  the  wind  and 
the  tide  and  became  a  total  wreck.  To  appreciate  the  difficulty 
and  danger  of  navigation  among  these  South  Sea  Islands  it 
must  be  remembered  that  the  formation  of  a  coral  island  is 
in  shape  that  of  a  subterranean  mountain  rising  sharply  to  a 
summit,  and  on  the  slopes  of  this  lie  the  adherent  walls  of  coral 
which  form  the  barrier  reef.  Outside  the  reef  there  is  no 
anchorage,  for  the  water  is  of  unfathomed  depth.  Anchored 
to  the  reef  the  ship  is  safe  so  long  as  the  wind  blows  from  the 
shore;  the  moment  the  wind — or  even  the  tide — changes,  the  ship 
may  be  driven  on  the  fangs  of  the  coral  unless  it  can  save  itself 
by  sailing  out  to  sea. 

When  the  John  Williams  struck  she  had  seventy  souls  on 
board,  and  a  great  cargo  of  provisions.  She  struck  with  a  fear¬ 
ful  crash,  and  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents.  Eventually  and 
with  great  difficulty  the  people  were  got  off  safely  in  boats  and 
part  of  the  cargo  was  saved,  but  Chalmers  lost  nearly  all  his 
belongings.  For  six  weeks  he  remained  on  the  island  as  a  guest 
at  the  Mission  house.  Then  a  schooner  belonging  to  the  Samoan 
Trading  Company  called  at  the  island  and  took  the  Mission 
party  to  Samoa.  From  Samoa  to  Rarotonga  they  sailed  on  a 
ship  belonging  to  Bully  Ilayes,  a  notorious  pirate  captain,  but 
who,  on  the  testimony  of  Chalmers,  behaved  like  a  thorough 
gentleman,  and  not  only  made  no  objection  to  the  services  which 
Chalmers  held  on  board,  but  wanted  to  make  attendance  com¬ 
pulsory  !  The  weather  proved  very  unpropitious,  and  it  was 

7 


not  till  20th  May  1867  that  Chalmers’s  adventurous  voyage  was 
over  and  he  arrived  at  Avarua,  in  Rarotonga,  and  was  carried 
ashore  by  a  native.  The  native  inquired,  “What  fellow  name 
belong  you  ?  ”  “  Chalmers,  ’  ’  was  the  reply,  and  the  native  called 
out  “ Tamale’ ’  to  his  fellows  on  shore,  and  so  Chalmers  was 
called  ever  after. 

Achievements  on  Rarotonga.  ( P .  31-34.) 

To  show  what  Christianity  was  able  to  do  for  those  natives 
let  us  look  a  moment  at  the  case  of  Teava.  In  his  youth  a 
heathen  and  cannibal,  he  fought  with  and  captured  men,  killed 
and  cooked  and  helped  to  eat  them.  In  manhood  he  was  con¬ 
verted,  became  a  true  soldier  of  the  Cross,  and  helped  to  lead 
others  to  the  Saviour.  He  himself  became  a  missionary  and 
was  sent  to  Samoa  as  a  pioneer.  Voyaging  in  an  open  canoe 
from  island  to  island  at  the  risk  of  his  life,  he  strove  to  remove 
the  prejudices  of  the  people  and  to  prepare  the  way  for  a 
European  missionary.  Subsequently  he  returned  to  Rarotonga, 
and  there  Chalmers  met  him  and  learned  to  admire  him.  He 
was  always  first  at  a  meeting,  coming  early  to  ask  a  blessing 
before  the  service  began.  He  was  always  ready  to  speak,  and 
because  of  his  long  experience  could  preach  as  few  others  could. 
He  was  a  great  student  of  Scripture,  and  had  a  great  delight 
in  reading  The  Pilgrim’s  Progress ;  and  great  was  his  influence 
for  good  among  the  chiefs. 

A  day’s  work  in  the  life  of  Chalmers  in  Rarotonga  was  some¬ 
thing  like  this.  At  half-past  five  prayer  meeting.  Then  break¬ 
fast,  followed  by  prayers  in  English.  Then  medicine-dispensing 
till  8  o’clock.  Teaching  students  till  10,  mechanical  or  industrial 
instruction  till  12  when  dinner  was  taken.  Rest  or  recreation 
for  two  hours;  bath  and  change  into  clean  clothes;  then  superin¬ 
tend  printing  office  till  tea  at  4.  Then  visit  the  sick  or  other 
church  members  requiring  visitation.  At  6  lamps  lit  and  prayers 
said  in  Rarotongon  and  English;  further  study  till  9;  and  retire 
to  rest  at  10. 

At  Avarua,  where  Chalmers  was  stationed,  the  church  was 
improved  and  repaired  at  a  cost  of  £700,  and  was  re-opened  in 
January,  1877,  and  in  the  same  year  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wyatt  Gill 
arrived  to  take  up  the  work. 

Chalmers  had  now  been  ten  full  years  in  Rarotonga;  he  was 
thirty-six  years  of  age,  and  he  had  developed  in  many  ways 
and  had  accomplished  much  for  the  island.  He  had  re-organ¬ 
ized  and  directed  the  Students’  College,  prepared  text-books, 
expounded  the  Scriptures,  studied  various  dialects,  and  had  co- 


8 


operated  with  the  chiefs  in  the  government  of  the  people.  The 
Directors  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  what  he  had 
done;  and  to  his  great  delight  they  decided  to  send  him  to  New 
Guinea.  As  he  had  had  no  furlough  they  suggested  that  he 
should  in  the  first  instance  visit  England,  but  lie  replied  that 
he  felt  no  need  for  returning  to  the  home  country  “so  soon,”  and 
prepared  to  go  at  once  to  his  new  sphere  of  duty. 

Life  Threatened  by  a  Savage.  ( P .  41-42.) 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chalmers  selected  Suau  (or  Stacey  Island) 
as  their  first  home  in  New  Guinea.  Here  they  were  among 
swarms  of  cannibals  who  wore  necklaces  of  human  bones.  But 
presents  were  exchanged  and  a.  quarrel  avoided.  A  suitable  site 
for  a  mission  station  was  agreed  upon,  and  while  the  house  was 
being  built  Chalmers  and  his  wife  accepted  the  rude  hospitality 
of  a  chief,  and  lived  behind  a  low  partition  in  his  house ;  a  house 
that  had  an  arsenal  of  spears  and  other  deadly  weapons,  and  was 
adorned  with  human  skulls.  The  Mayri,  a  seven-ton  lugger 
which  had  brought  Chalmers  and  his  goods,  was  anchored  close 
to  the  shore,  and  one  day  when  Chalmers  was  going  to  the  boat 
he  was  surrounded  by  an  armed  and  painted  crowd  of  savages 
demanding  tomahawks,  knives,  hoop  iron,  and  beads,  and 
threatening  murder  if  they  did  not  get  them.  One  fellow,  wear¬ 
ing  as  ornament  a  human  jaw-bone  and  carrying  a  stone  club, 
threatened  Chalmers’s  life.  The  missionary  looked  him  straight 
in  the  face ;  “You  may  kill  us,”  he  said,  “but  you  will  get  nothing 
from  us  by  force.”  His  terrified  native  assistant  advised  giving 
a  small  present,  but  Chalmers  was  firm,  and  reminded  his  oppo¬ 
nent  that  he  had  come  unarmed  among  the  natives  as  their 
friend.  Gradually  the  natives  retired,  and  next  morning  work 
was  resumed  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  and  the  chief  came 
and  apologized  for  the  behavior  of  the  people. 

The  Murder  of  Some  Native  Helpers.  ( P .  54-55.) 

One  tragic  event  in  March,  1881,  was  the  massacre  at  Kalo, 
carried  out  at  the  instigation  of  the  chief,  Quaipo,  by  which 
twelve  persons,  chiefly  native  teachers  and  their  wives,  were 
slain.  The  principal  teacher  was  Andrea,  a  native  of  Raro¬ 
tonga,  whom  Chalmers  himself  had  helped  to  train,  and  who 
was  both  a  good  teacher  and  a  good  compositor.  Placed  at 
Kerepunu  in  New  Guinea  he  had  done  excellent  work,  and  was 
on  the  best  of  terms  with  his  people.  He  was  on  a  visit  to 
Kalo  and  was  in  a  whale-boat  with  his  companions  when  the 
tragedy  occurred. 


9 


That  morning1  some  trouble  had  broken  out  between  the 
Kalo  people  and  the  wives  of  the  native  teachers,  a  massacre 
wras  determined  on,  and  the  signal  for  the  fight  was  given  by 
the  chief,  who  stepped  into  the  whale-boat,  seized  a  tomahawk, 
and  killed  Andrea. 

The  deed  created  such  a  stir  that  the  Government  sent  Com¬ 
modore  Wilson  with  his  flagship  to  demand  satisfaction,  al¬ 
though  the  missionaries  were  strongly  opposed  to  this  action. 
The  chief  was  defiant  and  said  he  would  not  be  satisfied  till  he 
had  Chalmers’s  skull  too;  but  one  volley  fired  by  the  marines, 
which  killed  the  chief  and  several  of  his  men,  was  sufficient  to 
bring  the  whole  tribe  into  submission,  and  with  the  aid  of  Chal¬ 
mers,  peace  was  made  with  the  people. 

Swift  Transformations.  ( P .  56-57.) 

In  1882  Chalmers  paid  a  visit  to  South  Cape  and  con¬ 
trasted  the  condition  of  the  natives  then  with  what  it  had  been 
only  four  years  before.  Then  they  had  lived  in  gross  darkness 
and  cruelty,  counting  that  chief  as  greatest  who  had  slain  most 
victims  and  gathered  most  skulls.  Now  for  two  years  there  had 
been  no  murder  or  cannibalism.  Tribes  formerly  hostile,  who 
could  not  meet  except  to  fight,  now  sat  side  by  side  in  the 
church,  worshipping  the  true  God,  and  delivered  from  the  fear 
of  evil  spirits.  Instead  of  war-cries  or  songs  they  were  singing 
“Come  to  Jesus”  and  “I  have  a  Father  in  the  Promised  Land”; 
and  they  who  had  formerly  sought  to  slay  the  missionaries  were 
now  anxious  to  assist  them  even  to  the  washing  of  their  feet. 
Preaching,  Chalmers  quickly  found  out,  was  only  a  small  part 
of  a  missionary’s  duty.  The  continual  moving  about  among 
the  people,  teaching  them  to  clear  the  bush,  to  fence  and  cul¬ 
tivate  their  land,  to  keep  their  houses  clean  and  tidy,  and  the 
influence  of  a  Christian  example  as  manifested  in  all  the  routine 
of  ordinary  life  in  work  and  in  play — these  were  the  means  by 
which  the  gospel  spread.  “Before  faithful  preaching  and  ear¬ 
nest  living  Satan’s  strongholds  fall.  No  doubt  the  natives  were 
savages  and  often  very  cruel,  but  Chalmers  found  that  “when 
you  get  to  know  them  you  love  them  and  seek]  their  good.” 

Begins  Work  at  Motumotu.  ( P .  72-73 ,  75-77.) 

In  August,  Chalmers  landed  at  Adelaide,  was  welcomed  by 
representatives  of  the  Press  and  of  various  public  societies  as 
well  as  by  the  clergy,  and  was  entertained  to  a  public  breakfast 
by  the  prominent  citizens.  Here  also  he  had  offers  from  the 
Government  to  give  up  mission  work  and  devote  himself  solely 


10 


to  exploration,  but  these  were  instantly  declined.  On  landing 
at  New  Guinea  lie  stayed  for  a  time  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lawes  at 
Port  Moresby,  and  then  went  to  Motumotu,  or  Toaripi,  as  it  is 
also  called,  to  take  up  work  there. 

Landing  on  New  Guinea  shores  was  always  a  difficult  task, 
and  Chalmers  got  drenched  going  through  the  surf.  The  people 
on  the  shore  answered  the  shouts  of  the  canoe  party  and  came 
running  to  the  beach  to  assist,  carrying  flaming  cocoanut  leaves 
as  torches.  When  they  realized  that  it  was  Chalmers  there  was 
a  tremendous  roar  of  excited  welcome,  and  the  chief  himself  came 
to  welcome  him  and  rub  noses  with  him.  .  .  . 

In  Chalmers’s  correspondence  at  this  time  we  get  glimpses 
of  the  kind  of  life  he  had  to  live  day  by  day  when  at  Motumotu. 
One  day  he  tells  us  he  went  by  canoe  to  visit  Moveave  with  a 
boat-load  of  natives.  “We  smoked  and  chatted  all  the  way,”  the 
chatting  mostly  done  in  “pidgin”  English.  When  near  the  first 
village  on  the  route  they  came  suddenly  upon  a  canoe  with  a 
husband  and  wife  and  two  bairns  in  it.  These  poor  people  got 
a  terrible  fright.  The  husband  flew  to  his  bow  and  arrows;  and 
the  mother  and  children  were  about  to  plunge  into  the  river, 
when  the  boat’s  crew  shouted  that  they  were  friends  and  that 
Tamate  was  on  board.  The  bow  and  arrows  were  put  down  and 
the  family  party  slowly  paddled  near.  Then  a  little  tobacco 
helped  to  soothe  them,  though  the  children  were  still  crying 
piteously,  and  the  husband  and  wife  trembling  with  fear. 

Chalmers  got  them  to  go  on  ahead  and  warn  the  village  people 
of  the  approach  of  the  white  man.  On  and  on  the  Mission  boat 
paddled  and  got  into  a  narrow  creek  where  if  an  attack  had 
been  made  no  escape  would  have  been  possible.  The  party 
landed,  soon  armed  natives  were  seen  gathering  round.  But 
they  were  told  they  must  not  come  armed,  because  it  was  a  visit 
of  peace  and  because  Chalmers  was  coming  among  them  quite 
unarmed.  So  obediently  they  put  away  their  weapons,  and 
came  in  great  numbers  to  see  the  white  missionary.  “They  were 
glad,  I  believe,  from  the  very  depths  of  their  hearts,”  says  Chal¬ 
mers,  “that  I  had  come  to  make  friends  with  them.”  And  they 
showed  their  kindness  by  the  care  they  took  of  Tamate.  They 
would  not  let  him  step  on  a  muddy  wet  place,  but  insisted  on 
carrying  him  over  all  the  puddles.  Then  'Chalmers  divided 
among  them  some  sticks  of  tobacco,  and  went  afterwards  through 
the  bush  to  another  village  and  got  the  same  kind  of  reception. 
On  his  return  to  the  first  village  he  found  that  the  natives  had 
erected  a  shade  for  him  constructed  of  cocoanut  leaves,  and 
there  he  sat  and  conversed  with  them  on  the  miseries  of  war 
and  the  blessings  of  peace.  They  gave  him  presents  of  cocoa- 


11 


nuts,  betel  nuts,  and  other  treasures,  and  in  return  he  gave 
them  knives,  looking-glasses,  and  jubilee  medals,  which  were 
received  w-itli  expressions  of  delight.  “It  was  a  good  time,”  he 
says;  and  doubtless  they  would  have  said  the  same. 

James  Chalmers  Meets  Robert  Louis  Stevenson .  ( P . 

109-111 ,  70.) 

On  the  following  evening  (18th  Sept.  1890)  Chalmers  gave 
a  lecture  to  the  white  population  on  his  experiences  in  New 
Guinea;  there  was  a  crowded  house,  and  the  chair  was  taken 
by  Robert  Louis  Stevenson. 

Stevenson  on  this  occasion  said,  “There  are  some  men  who 
never  need  introducing,  and  Tamate  is  one  of  these.  It  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  steal  a  march  upon  my  fellow-towns¬ 
men,  and  to  anticipate  many  of  you  in  the  privilege  of  acquain¬ 
tance  with  Mr.  Chalmers,  for  I  travelled  with  him  from  Sydney 
here.  This  intimate  intercourse  has  resulted  in  my  having 
the  highest  admiration  for  Mr.  Chalmers ;  and  I  am  sure  that 
all  present  will  not  only  enjoy  listening  to  his  narrative  but 
will  also  very  heartily  wish  him  God-speed  in  all  his  future 
endeavours  as  a  pioneer  of  civilization  and  love.  I  believe  we 
shall  all  be  stimulated  to  greater  courage  in  taking  up  the 
cross  that  all  heroic  souls  have  taken— the  cross  of  light  and 
progress.  ’  ’ 

The  meeting  of  two  such  famous  compatriots  as  the  great 
novelist  and  the  great  missionary  is  one  that  stirs  the  imagina¬ 
tion.  We  know  how  highly  they  appreciated  each  other,  and 
no  one  can  wonder  at  the  sudden  attachment  which  sprung 
up  between  them,  for  surely  they  were  kindred  natures,  and  in 
spite  of  some  apparent  surface  differences,  had  much  in  common. 
Both  were  fervent  Scots,  both  born  adventurers,  and  both  had 
faced  death  and  danger  in  many  ways  and  on  many  occasions. 
The  slender,  delicate,  fastidious,  and  cultured  Robert  Louis 
Stevenson  may  have  presented  a  great  contrast  to  the  stalwart 
and  bronzed  and  somewhat  Bohemian  missionary ;  but  both 
were  sincere  and  unconventional,  and  they  were  alike  in  their 
view  of  the  fundamental  seriousness  of  life  and  the  value  of 
the  human  soul,  and  in  their  reverence  for  true  Christianity 
and  their  love  for  their  fellow  creatures.  And  both  were  fond 
of  good  stories  and  had  unusual  experiences  from  which  to  draw. 

Stevenson  with  his  keen  insight  into  human  nature  and  his 
experience  of  native  character  was  an  observant  and  shrewd 
but  generous  critic  of  missionary  work  in  the  South  Seas.  He 
admired  many  missionaries,  sympathized  with  their  work,  and 

12 


even  lent  at  one  time  a  helping  hand  to  it  himself.  “I  had 
conceived  a  great  prejudice  against  missions  in  the  South  Seas,” 
he  confesses,  “and  had  no  sooner  come  there  than  that  prejudice 
was  at  first  reduced  and  then  at  last  annihilated.  Those  who 
discriminate  against  missions  have  only  one  thing  to  do — to 
come  and  see  them  on  the  spot.  They  will  see  a  great  deal  of 
good  done ;  they  will  see  a  race  being  forwarded  in  many 
different  directions;  and  I  believe,  if  they  be  honest  persons, 
they  will  cease  to  complain  of  mission  work  and  its  effects.  ’  ’ 

He  read  papers  by  request  before  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  and  the  Colonial  Institute,  contributed  numerous  arti¬ 
cles  to  newspapers  and  magazines,  and  although  composition 
was  to  him  most  uncongenial  labour,  he  wrote  and  saw  through 
the  press  his  little  book  entitled  Pioneering  in  New  Guinea. 

It  was  of  this  book  that  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  some 
years  later,  wrote  in  his  airy  fashion  to  his  friend  Sidney 
Colvin : 

“I  wish  you  to  get  Pioneering  in  New'  Guinea  by  James 
Chalmers.  It  is  a  missionary  book,  and  has  less  pretensions  to  be 
literature  than  Spurgeon’s  Sermons.  Yet  I  think  even  through 
that,  you  will  see  some  of  the  traits  of  the  hero  that  wrote  it, 
a  man  that  took  me  fairly  by  storm  for  the  most  attractive, 
simple,  brave,  and  interesting  man  in  the  whole  Fly  River, 
a  desperate  venture,  it  is  thought ;  he  is  quite  a  Livingstone 
card.  ’  ’ 

Another  Shipwreck.  (P.  123-125.) 

No  sooner  was  Mrs.  Chalmers  settled  in  her  home  than 
her  husband  was  called  away  again.  At  Port  Moresby  he 
learned  the  sad  news  of  the  death  of  several  of  his  newly  - 
installed  native  teachers.  From  there  he  proceeded  to  Cooktown 
and  endured  such  bad  weather  all  the  way  that  some  spars 
and  sails  were  carried  away,  and  the  ship  had  to  anchor  near 
“Three  Islands”  to  repair  damages.  The  following  night  was 
wet  and  blowy  and  the  sea  high,  and  Chalmers  was  just  getting 
to  sleep  when  there  was  a  sudden  startling  bump  on  the  rocks, 
a  horrible  grating  sound,  and  the  ship  stuck  fast.  Their  posi¬ 
tion  was  both  unsafe  and  uncomfortable,  they  threw  ballast 
overboard,  kept  signals  of  distress  flying,  and  fired  rockets  and 
burned  blue  lights,  but  were  not  seen.  The  pumps  were  kept 
going  as  long  as  possible,  but  by  Sunday  morning  they  were 
useless,  the  ship  was  leaning  on  its  side  and  the  sea  flowing 
in  and  out;  masts  and  rigging  were  cut  away  to  prevent  the 
ship  capsizing;  and  then,  as  all  felt  they  were  in  a  desperate 

13 


condition,  the  whale-boat  was  provisioned  and  launched  and 
put  under  charge  of  the  second  mate,  and  passengers  and 
crew  transferred.  They  were  just  on  the  point  of  leaving 
when  Chalmers  saw  a  sailor  emerge  from  the  hold.  “ Hallo! 
What  are  you  up  to?”  he  cried.  “ Looking  for  poor  old  Tom, 
the  cat,  sir,  ’  ’  he  yelled ;  1 ‘  we  must  save  him  if  we  can  ’  ’ ;  and  first 
the  cat  was  rescued  and  then  the  pet  cockatoo.  There  were 
eleven  souls  on  board  the  whale-boat,  and  it  was  really  over¬ 
weighted  with  provisions  and  other  effects,  and  baling  had  to 
be  constantly  resorted  to.  However,  the  mate  did  splendidly 
and  they  landed  safely  on  the  lee  side  of  “ Three  Islands”  and 
took  possession  of  a  beche-de-mer  station  and  waited  for  some 
passing  ship.  Again  they  burned  lights  and  fired  rockets,  but 
it  was  not  till  next  morning  that  they  were  rescued  by  the 
Governor  Cairns ,  which  took  them  all  on  board,  supplied  them 
with  food  and  conveyed  them  to  Cooktown.  This  was  Chalmers’s 
fourth  experience  of  shipwreck. 

A  Visit  Home.  ( P .  143-145.) 

On  reaching  Thursday  Island  in  March  1894,  Chalmers 
found  a  telegram  awaiting  him  calling  him  back  to  England 
to  take  part  in  the  centenary  celebrations  of  the  London  Mis¬ 
sionary  Society.  He  landed  at  Tilbury  in  May,  and  was  rejoiced 
to  meet  his  wife  again  after  a  separation  of  two  years.  After  a 
long  life  in  the  tropics  Chalmers  found  the  English  winter 
very  trying,  and  was  twice  threatened  with  a  serious  breakdown 
in  health.  He  was  able,  however,  to  do  a  vast  amount  of 
speaking  in  the  cities  and  towns  of  Britain,  repeating  the  story 
of  his  wonderful  adventures  to  delighted  audiences  and  kindling 
missionary  enthusiasm  wherever  he  went.  He  was  the  principal 
and  the  most  popular  speaker  at  the  centenary  celebrations,  and 
he  also  addressed  large  audiences  at  the  City  Temple,  and 
at  the  Free  Assembly  Hall,  Edinburgh.  In  the  latter  case 
the  chairman  of  the  meeting  was  Sir  William  McGregor,  who 
had  been  Governor  of  New  Guinea  for  seven  years,  and  who 
knew  Chalmers  and  New  Guinea  well.  He  bore  emphatic  testi¬ 
mony  to  the  value  of  Mr.  Chalmers’s  work  both  as  missionary 
and  explorer,  and  declared  it  his  opinion  that  there  could  be 
no  finer  mission-field  than  New  Guinea,  presenting  as  it  did 
such  a  large  population  without  any  trace  of  literature  or 
religion,  and  living  practically  in  the  Stone  Age,  and  yet  pos¬ 
sessing  good  intellectual  qualities. 

Chalmers  also  visited  Inveraray  and  received  from  the  towns¬ 
men  the  highest  honour  they  could  bestow — the  freedom  of  the 


14 


Burgh.  The  ceremony  took  place  in  Inveraray  Court  House  ; 
the  casket  was  presented  by  the  Provost,  and  Chalmers  delivered 
an  address  full  of  genial  reminiscences  of  his  youthful  days. 
He  told  his  audience  that  he  had  been  one  of  the  first  volunteers 
in  Inveraray  and  a  member  of  its  first  cricket  club,  and  had 
been  considered  one  of  the  best  football  players  in  the  district. 
He  was  naturally  proud  of  the  high  distinction  conferred  upon 
him  by  his  fellow-townsmen ;  and  he  concluded  by  telling  them 
what  had  been  always  the  animating  principle  of  his  life:  “He 
had  never  been  able  to  look  far  ahead,  but  he  had  tried  every 
day  to  do  every  day’s  work  as  well  as  he  ever  could.” 

Martyrdom  on  Goaribari  Island .  (P.  158-161.) 

On  the  4th  of  April  he  left  in  the  Niue  for  the  East, 
intending  to  go  as  far  as  Cape  Blackwood,  and  to  return  in  a 
fortnight.  On  the  7th  the  schooner  anchored  off  the  east  end 
of  the  island  of  Goaribari  at  the  Aird  Delta,  and  what  happened 
then  was  only  found  out  after  Chalmers’s  death. 

This  is  the  tragic  story.  Crowds  of  natives  came  from  the 
shore  and  remained  on  the  schooner  till  sunset  when  Tamate 
persuaded  them  to  return  to  the  village,  and  promised  he  would 
visit  them  next  day.  At  five  next  morning  the  natives  returned 
and  so  crowded  the  deck  of  the  ship  that  there  was  no  room  to 
move ;  the  canoes  in  which  they  came  were  full  of  arms.  As 
it  was  impossible  to  get  the  natives  to  leave  the  ship  Tamate 
decided  to  go  ashore,  thinking  that  this  would  induce  them  to 
leave.  Tomkins,  fearing  danger,  would  not  allow  him  to  go 
alone,  and  insisted  on  accompanying  him  in  the  whale-boat. 
About  half  of  the  natives  followed  and  the  rest  remained  on 
board.  No  further  signs  of  the  Mission  party  were  seen,  and 
the  schooner,  after  waiting  in  vain  for  their  return,  left  for 
Daru  to  report  the  matter.  The  natives  who  had  remained  on 
the  schooner  had  looted  it  of  everything  they  could  carry  away. 

As  soon  as  possible  after  this  the  Governor,  on  board  the 
Merrie  England,  went  with  a  large  force  to  the  spot,  accom¬ 
panied  by  another  steamer,  the  Parua,  on  which  were  some 
officers  and  men  from  the  Garrison  at  Thursday  Island.  The 
Rev.  H.  M.  Dauncey  of  the  London  Missionary  Society  was 
also  on  board  the  Parua ,  and  has  given  an  account  of  what 
happened.  The  party  landed  at  Dopima,  and  here  captured  a 
prisoner  who,  through  an  interpreter,  explained  that  as  soon 
as  the  arrival  of  the  schooner  was  known  a  plot  was  got  up 
to  loot  it  and  massacre  the  missionaries,  and  that  no  fewer  than 
ten  villages  were  implicated.  As  soon  as  Chalmers  and  Tomkins 

15 


went  on  shore  they  and  their  followers  were  enticed  to  enter 
the  large  dubu  at  Dopima  on  pretense  of  getting  something 
to  eat,  and  Chalmers  and  his  colleague  were  treacherously 
knocked  from  behind  on  the  head  with  stone  clubs  and  rendered 
senseless.  This  was  the  signal  for  a  general  massacre ;  and 
Chalmers  was  then  stabbed  in  the  right  side  with  a  cassowary 
dagger,  and  his  head  cut  off  with  a  bamboo  knife.  The  same 
treatment  was  given  to  Mr.  Tomkins,  and  their  bodies  were 
immediately  cut  up  and  handed  over  to  the  women  to  cook,  and 
subsequently  eaten,  the  flesh  being  mixed  with  sago.  In  order 
to  punish  the  criminals  all  the  dubus  of  the  ten  villages  were 
destroyed  by  fire.  There  were  twenty  dub  us  in  all,  and  ten 
thousand  human  skulls  were  discovered  in  them.  In  process 
of  carrying  this  out  the  landing  party  was  attacked  by  the 
natives,  but  it  only  required  a  few  rounds  of  rifle  firing,  to 
disperse  the  crowd.  The  other  houses  in  the  villages  were 
spared,  as  the  intention  was  to  let  the  punishment  fall  only 
upon  the  fighting  men.  The  splendid  whale-boat  which  Mrs. 
Chalmers’s  legacy  had  provided  had  been  smashed  up  by  the 
murderers,  and  its  broken  pieces  divided  among  the  various 
villages.  It  is  supposed  that  the  real  reason  of  the  massacre  was 
that  human  sacrifices  were  wanted  to  celebrate  the  opening  of 
a  new  dubu. 


16 


SERIES  OF  TWELVE  PROGRAMS 

Course  Number  One 
(Now  available) 

JAMES  CHALMERS,  Martyr  of  New  Guinea 
JAMES  GILMOUR,  Pioneer  in  Mongolia 
A\  ILFRED  T.  GRENFELL,  Knight-Errant  of  the  North 
ADONIRAM  JUDSON,  Herald  of  the  Cross  in  Burma 
ION  KEITH-FALCONER,  Defender  of  the  Faith  in  Arabia 
DAVID  LIVINGSTONE,  Africa’s  Pathfinder  and  Emancipator 
ALEXANDER  M.  MACKAY,  Uganda’s  White  Man  of  Work 
HENRY  MARTYN,  Persia’s  Man  of  God 
ROBERT  MORRISON,  Protestant  Pioneer  in  China 
JOHN  G.  PATON,  King  of  the  Cannibals 
MARY  SLESSOR,  The  White  Queen  of  Calabar 
MARCUS  WHITMAN,  Hero  of  the  Oregon  Country 

Course  Number  Two 

(In  preparation) 

CAPTAIN  LUKE  BICKEL,  Master  Mariner  of  the  Inland  Sea 

WILLIAM  CAREY,  Founder  of  Modern  Missions 

ALEXANDER  DUFF,  India’s  Educational  Pioneer 

MARY  PORTER  GAMEWELL,  Heroine  of  the  Boxer  Rebellion 

FRANK  HIGGINS,  Sky  Pilot  of  the  Lumbermen 

ROBERT  LAWS,  Founder  of  Livingstonia 

RAYMOND  LULL,  First  Missionary  to  the  Moslems 

JOHN  K.  MACKENZIE,  The  Beloved  Physician  of  Tientsin 

JAMES  COLERIDGE  PATTESON,  Martyr  Bishop  of  the  South 
Seas 

ALBERT  L.  SHELTON,  Pioneer  in  Tibet 

J.  HUDSON  TAYLOR,  Organizer  of  the  China  Inland  Mission 

JOHN  WILLIAMS.  Shipbuilder  in  the  South  Seas 


No.  228-M.E.-I-iM-June,  1925 


i&k &  *> 


Booklets  25  Cents  Each 

A  reduction  of  50  cents  allozved  if  set  of  12  Booklets 

is  purchased 


